Guide for flush tank valves



y 7, 1953 J. a MILLER 2,644,166

GUIDE FOR'IFLUSH TANK VALVES Filed D80. '21, 1950 JOSEPH R. Ala .45

IN VEN TOR.

Patented July 7, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,644,166 r it GUIDE FOR FLUSH TANK VALVES Joseph B. Miller, Mesquite, Tex. Application December 21, 1950, Serial No. 202,025

generally hollow and constructed of rubber. The

function of the valve is to close the water outlet pipe of a flush tank to enable the latter to refill after flushing but since the conventional valve is devoid of any form of guide to insure rectilinear travel, it frequently assumes an improper position on its seat, allowing continuous flow of water through the outlet.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a valve guide constructed of heavier material than that of which the valve itself is composed and which guide is adapted to be suspended from the bottom of any conventional valve to insure perpendicular travel of the valve towards its seat when released following the flushing operation of the tank. The weight of the guide is effective to preclude other than rectilinear movement of the valve in its downward travel, and due to vibrations set up in the more flexible seating portion of the valve because of the depending guide, the latter is effective to bring about better conformity between the valve and its seat to prevent continued passage of water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flushing valve centering and seating device consisting of a weighted body adapted to depend from the hemispherical portion of the valve and is provided with a threaded stem affixed to a retaining flange insertable through an opening usually provided in the bottom portion of the valve. A companion flange is apertured to receive the stem of the body and is disposed exteriorly of the valve to enable the guide body to be centered with respect to the vertical path of the valve and to secure the guide against lateral displacement with respect to the valve irrespective of the size of the aperture therein through which the stem of the guide body eX- tends.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accmpanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a flush tank in section, showing a valve in seated position and equipped with a guide constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-56) .2 flush valve showing the guide in vertical section and on a slightly larger scale, and

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the valve guide. H v

Continuing with a moredetailed description of the drawing, reference numeral ID denotes a conventional toilet flush tank, shown fragmentarily and in section in Figure 1, which has a water outlet pipe II in its bottom. The conventional flush valve is of rubber and is usually formed with an inverted cone shaped upper portion l2 and a substantially hemispherical lower portion l3 which constitutes the seating portion adapted to rest, in closed position of the valve, on the'end of the outlet ipe II, as shown. The valve is suspended by a stem 44, which, in general practice, is permitted some freedom for lateral movement even though it usually has a guide (not shown) intermediate its ends. Such uncontrolled lateral displacement of the stem as is permitted makes possible improper seating of the valve which not only causes waste of water but the attendant noise of continuously flowing water is very annoying to the householder.

To obviate the foregoing disadvantages, the invention provides a guide consisting of a preferably cylindrical body [5, threaded onto a stem [6, adapted to enter the aperture I1 usually provided in the bottom of the seating portion !3 of the valve. The stem l6 of the body I5 is affixed between the ends of a flange or bar I'ia, the latter being inserted through the opening ii in the valve by expanding the surrounding rubber. First, however, the stem 56 receives a washer [8 which is interposed between an annular shoulder l9 on the upper portion of the guide body I5 and the undersurface of the hemispherical portion of the valve, thus to hold the guide in centered position with respect to the intended travel of the valve and to prevent displacement of the guide body with respect to the valve. The

washer l 8 is centrally apertured at 19 to receive the stem l6 and on each side of the aperture I9 is an upstanding ear 20 struck upwardly from the washer. The strap Ha lies between the ears 20 to prevent turning of the washer in relation to the strap i'la while the openings 2|, from which the ears 26 are struck, are'sufficient for properly venting the valve.

A further purpose in providing the external flange or washer i8 is to adapt theguide to all makes of valves of the type shown, since they do not all have openings in their seating portions of the same diameter. For this reason, the flange or washer is is incorporated to extend beyond the edges of even the largest of such openings so that the rubber may be clamped between the washer and internal flange or strap I la when the body 15 is rotated to draw the strap I'Ia towards the body I5, by virtue of the threaded relationship of the neck portion [6 and strap I la.

When the valve guide I is properly positioned on the bottom of the valve, the latter will move perpendioularly'with respect to its seat on the upper end of the outlet pipe I l and at the same time will vibrate as the valve moves towards and onto its seat and will impart vibrations to the seating portion l3 of the valve tending to cause the valve to seat properly following each flushing operation to obviate the usual waste and annoyance resulting from an improperly seated Valve.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claim is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a hollow flush tank valve, a guide therefor 4 comprising an internal flange withinsaid valve, a threaded stem aflixed to and depending from said flange through an opening in the bottom of said valve, a depending weighted body having an annular shoulder and threaded onto the lower end of said stem, an external washer disposed on the annular shoulder of said weighted body, ears struck upwardly from said washer between which the midsection of said flange is disposed for clampingly engaging the portion of said valve immediately surrounding said opening to hold said guide in fixed relationship with said valve.

JOSEPH R. MILLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,191,481 Scoville July 18, 1916 1,528,098 Crane s- Mar. 3, 1925 1,997,728 Heath Apr. 16, 1935 2,101,991 Finley Dec. 14, 1937 2,139,862 Shesler Dec. 13, 1938 2,222,856 Robertson et al. Nov. 26, 1940 

